News of the global plastic problem fills our headlines on a regular basis, and the statistics paint a bleak picture. National Geographic says 91% of plastic isn’t recycled, while the EPA estimates that 70% of plastic in the US ends up in landfills. New research from Google found that if systems are not changed, we could mismanage 7.7 gigatons of plastic over the next 20 years.
Yet awareness is changing, and companies around the world are stepping up to support the New Plastics Global Economy Commitment with the goal of eliminating single-use plastics by 2025. Small and large scale businesses are following suit, and as the world gears up its plastic-cutting efforts, we wanted to take a look at some of the ways innovators are tackling the problem. As around 40% of global plastic is produced for packaging purposes, we’ll be looking at this sector – and how novel technologies are making single-use plastics a thing of the past.
Vegware
An originally UK-based startup, Vegware has expanded its reach to become a global figue. The company manufactures eco-friendly packaging out of plants – creating low carbon disposable supplies predominantly used in the catering and hospitality sectors. Once used, the items are collected and made into a compost – putting the materials back in the earth where they’re from.
All Vegware items are designed to be disposed of with food – eliminating the issue of having to ensure recycled items are not contaminated with food residue.
Aggarwal Biotech
Aggarwal Biotech is an Indian startup that uses starch in bioplastics to create an organic packaging material that is compostable and water soluble. The latter means it also works to avoid contributing to the problem of marine pollution.
The company’s starch biopolymer compounds break down within 180 days without emitting any harmful gases, and can be used to make plastic bags for agricultural, grocery or retail use.
Starch is an ideal material for this purpose given the ease with which it can be melted and remolded, as well as its accessibility and abundance – being found in everything from potatoes to corn.
The Plastic Bank
It’s not just creating sustainable plastic alternatives that will change the face of the industry, but also establishing an efficient framework – and incentive – to recycle.
One group working to do just that is The Plastic Bank. The Canadian company has set up collection points where people can exchange their plastic in exchange for tokens which can then be used to buy food, water and phone credits. The tokens are distributed using an IBM-enabled blockchain system, and is intended to not only help reduce plastic in landfills, but also to offer economic opportunities to disadvantaged communities.
Once collected, the plastic is sold to ethical brands such as Henkel – which uses 100% recycled plastic to make its home, beauty and laundry products.
Envision
Like The Plastic Bank, Envision’s business model centres around collection points for plastic products – though Envision seeks to tackle marine waste specifically. The Envision centres are located at sites identified as being high risk for marine pollution, with all plastic collected then recycled and repurposed in products such as those in the beauty industry.
Envision has a no-solvent policy in the recycling process, so that any water used can then be repurposed for irrigation.
